The activation of interactive attentional networks

Abstract

Attention can be conceptualized as comprising the functions of alerting, orienting, and executive control. Although the independence of these functions has been demonstrated, the neural mechanisms underlying their interactions remain unclear. Using the revised attention network test and functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined cortical and subcortical activity related to these attentional functions and their interactions. Results showed that areas in the extended frontoparietal network (FPN), including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontal eye fields (FEF), areas near and along the intraparietal sulcus, anterior cingulate and anterior insular cortices, basal ganglia, and thalamus were activated across multiple attentional functions. Specifically, the alerting function was associated with activation in the locus coeruleus (LC) in addition to regions in the FPN. The orienting functions were associated with activation in the superior colliculus (SC) and the FEF. The executive control function was mainly associated with activation of the FPN and cerebellum. The interaction effect of alerting by executive control was also associated with activation of the FPN, while the interaction effect of validity by executive control was mainly associated with the activation in the pulvinar. The current findings demonstrate that cortical and specific subcortical areas play a pivotal role in the implementation of attentional functions and underlie their dynamic interactions.

Age differences in gain- and loss-motivated attention

“…Extending these findings, neuroimaging work involving a revised version of the ANT (i.e. ANT-R; Fan et al, 2009) showed that activation of the LC was selectively related to the alerting response (Xuan et al, 2016). Given this association between alerting and the LC-NE system, the present findings are suggestive of an arousal-mediated influence of incentives on attention, consistent with adaptive gain theory (Aston-Jones & .…”

Cerebral metabolic correlates of attention networks in Alzheimer's Disease: A study of the Stroop

“…It is conceptualized to rely on both brainstem projections and right fronto-parietal regions (Petersen & Posner, 2012). Findings from previous neuroimaging studies report associations with these regions, in addition to bilateral thalamus, temporoparietal junction, ACC, anterior insula, and IPS (Fan, McCandliss, Fossella, Flombaum, & Posner, 2005; Xuan et al, 2016). The orienting network enables selective attention of external stimuli.…”

“…It thus also oversees the ability to disengage attention from one stimulus and attend to another. Prior imaging studies have largely supported these neuroanatomical substrates (Fan et al, 2005; Xuan et al, 2016; Yin et al, 2012). Thus while conceptually distinct, the underlying neural regions supporting the alerting and two orienting networks are somewhat overlapping, particularly with regards to the intraparietal sulcus, temporoparietal junction, and frontal cortex.…”

Brain network dysfunction in youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder induced by simple uni-manual behavior: The role of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex

“…Notably, increased modulation was evident in core regions of the executive attention network including the middle frontal and cingulate gyri, the basal ganglia and the thalamic nuclei (Visintin et al, 2015; Xuan et al, 2016), but not in regions that lie in core motor sub-networks (including regions such as the primary-, pre- and supplementary motor cortices); 2) The degree of “hyper”-modulation varied as a function of the sensorimotor demands of the task. During random epochs, where the task demands induced greater attention processing by virtue of the unpredictable demands of the task, dACC hyper-modulation was more pronounced.…”